Artistry Meets Business Acumen

Most of us tend to characterize artists as otherworldly, with brains that function differently than most of ours do. I've never before considered the business of being an artist. But any notions of otherworldliness were quickly dispelled after I spent time with a group of After 55 artists in Carefree, Ariz.

There were 11 of us, all but one of a "certain age." They included Carol Matthews, a watercolorist; Sue Lewis, a jewelry artist; Margit Kagerer, an award-winning art quilt maker; Katalin Ehling, a batik expert; Ann Otis, who does magnificent etchings and monotypes; Judy Bruce, a contemporary artist; and Marty Gibson, who works in mixed media and printmaking. The conversation was wide-ranging and lively.

Their challenges are familiar: marketing, maintaining professional standards, and remaining fresh to themselves and to the marketplace.

But there are other issues unique to artists, as I learned from the discussion.

Problem: Every business needs visibility, and that's especially true of the visual arts. Along with having an online presence and distributors (e.g., galleries), these artists constantly struggle to determine the best venues to display their work: Should they do small, self-mounted exhibits? Participate in large community exhibits? Commercial art festivals? Studio events? How many a year? How far apart, both in time and distance?

Solution: They discussed launching a series of smaller exhibits, featuring no more than three artists at a time. They discussed potential venues, opening receptions and organizing criteria. The only sticking point was who would be in charge of the volunteers.

Problem: Next is the question of how best to display their work. Who will be in charge of presentation? How do they recoup their costs? Like many women entrepreneurs, these particular artists don't rely only on their art to support themselves. Nonetheless, they are extremely accomplished.

Solution: They discussed a communal website. They talked about who might build it, and considered finding a student intern to do so. Problem: Another challenge facing these women is the public's lack of knowledge and respect for original art. Over the past 15 years, there's been an increase in the quest for instant art, generally meaning a computer-generated copy of original art that costs much less than original artwork but is adequate for the untrained eye.

Each artist spoke sadly about people's lack of appreciation for the process of creating art. With art education absent in most schools, children are no longer exposed to the skills necessary for creativity or the opportunity to explore their own creativity.

How can artists educate the public to appreciate the value of an original vs. a cheap copy of an oil painting? How can a finely crafted piece of jewelry be compared with amateur beaded necklaces that cater to a marketplace accustomed to disposable objects? How do artists hold their own in an extremely difficult economy where luxuries are deferred?

Solution: Several of the women already write or teach about their area of art. They discussed the prospect of educating the public at their proposed exhibits.

Problem: The final challenge: remaining fresh. Several of the artists I met are moving into new areas that interest them. For example, the batik artist is drawn to painting with acrylics. She believes that continuing to do what she has been doing is not being true to herself and her gifts. The marketplace, however, identifies her with batik and shows little interest in the new direction she is taking. How does she bring her clients along as she ventures down a new road?

Solution: At their age, these women know who they are, and that's who they are determined to be. Though it may be uncomfortable to challenge expectations, they agreed to accept that challenge.

The artists' group meets for breakfast every Monday to talk about the business issues facing them. In today's business world, this sort of group is called a Mastermind Alliance. In earlier days, it would have been a quilting bee or a coffee klatch: simply, women looking at a problem together and sharing ideas and wisdom.

Members of the group say they gather confidence from sitting and talking to like-minded women upon whom they have come to rely for good advice and counsel.

The challenges faced by working artists are not unfamiliar to corporate-style business owners. The difference is that artists have to address each challenge through the medium of their work, which comes from deep within their being. It's a different kind of risk, one that requires a creative mind and business savvy.